


Les Wilis

by TurtleLady17



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Angst and Tragedy, European Stories, F/M, Heavy Angst, Homophobia, Infidelity, M/M, Old European Tales, Period-Typical Homophobia, Shance - Freeform, Tragedy, onesided!Klance, shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 13:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11898723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurtleLady17/pseuds/TurtleLady17
Summary: The strength of love protects all, even after death.





	Les Wilis

**Author's Note:**

> This story was pretty much something I wrote for another fandom but never, ever posted anywhere. It's based (literally) off the ballet/folk story of Giselle. It's honestly one of my favorites, since it's a pretty dark story (like most of these type of stories, tbh). A lot of this has taken place hundreds of years ago - something to keep in mind when reading this.
> 
> Magical Anime Beta: [DYlogger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DYlogger/pseuds/DYlogger)

 

In our modern age, we are surrounded by the constant of flashing, artificial lights and loud, mindless technological discoveries. What cannot be seen are the stories of the past; stories so old that they are unfortunately deemed as only folklore from the people of the old villages. Many of these stories were filled with characters young and old pushed through trials that forced them to question their worth as individuals. Though they meet the end in victory, as heroes or changed beings. Very rarely, however, do these stories end in misfortune for the being or peoples; meeting a dark end to their adventures. They tug at our heartstrings and push out the tears from our eyes, holding an inner beauty that is refused to be seen by many.

Either these stories were real or not, it did not matter, for this beauty is seen by a selected few, thus being deemed as a true, romantic classic.

 

\---

 

This story takes place a very long time ago, in a very small village, nestled between kingdoms, and hidden among the forests and tall mountains containing what was whispered to be various creatures of magical properties. Within this small village were various folk living simple lives of farming, hunting and gathering. In time of celebration, the people would gather in the square and dance merrily. Many of the young people were lively dancers, but none could match the pace and joy of a young man by the name of Lance Espinosa.

Along with being the best dancer, he was also the most beautiful in the entire village. He was kind, gentle, and can be a bit shy but was open and bold enough to approach any villager and give them a physical greeting. He was loved by both men and women alike and even quite a few of them had tried to pursue romance with him. Unfortunately, he had politely turned down all of them, believing that there was no one for him. The only thing that kept him from working with the other farmers and hunters was the fact that he was born with a terrible condition that left him with a weak heart. His mother, Anita Espinosa, was overprotective of her son, making sure that he did not do anything to endanger his health, especially venturing into the forest at twilight.

It was the midst of the annual Grape Harvest, and peace was settled upon the homes of the villagers. Anita stepped out of her home with a basket full of wet clothing and set it on the ground so she could set them up right along the clothesline. Following close behind was Lance, carrying a smaller basket full of clothing pins. He placed it between them and began to help her set up the clothing on the line.

Keith Kogane, a young gamekeeper, approached them. Keith was one of the many suitors who wanted to be with Lance and was one of the most relentless, so taking no for an answer was out of the question for him. Anita paused briefly and sent him a welcoming smile.

“Good morning, Keith, what pleasure it is to be in your presence.” She greeted.  Keith bowed politely in return.

“And it is a pleasure to be within yours.” He returned politely. He looked over at Lance who smiled at him with a sparkle in his eyes. Keith’s heart fluttered. “Good morning, Lance. You seem to be in good health.” Whenever he was within a good ten feet of the boy, his heart would thunder loudly in his chest and his mind would nearly go blank. He had fallen hard for the frail boy over the years, thus refusing to back down until Lance had felt the same way about him.

“I am feeling very well, thank you for noticing.” Lance responded and Keith fought down a blush. “I see that your father has returned from harvest, all is well?” He reached up and placed two pins on a bed sheet on the line.

“Y-yes, father and the other villagers have gathered an abundance of ripe grapes. Things are looking very well for us.”

“That is wonderful to hear.” Anita said as she took another bedspread, this time from Lance’s hands.

“Anyways, I was hoping, since the harvest celebration is in few weeks, that Lance would be the one to accompany me.” Keith said nervously. “I just – need your permission.”

“Ask him yourself, the boy is right here.” The woman chuckled, fully acknowledging his infatuation with her son. Keith gave a start and looked over at the older boy, blushing heavily and taking a deep breath.

“Lance Espinosa, will you do me the honor of being at my side at the celebration?” He hoped that this time he would say yes. It would be a small step towards making their friendship into something more, and finally a way for Lance to recognize Keith as someone more.

“Um, actually, Hunk and Pidge have already asked me to go with them. But you are more than welcome to join us.” Lance responded and Keith’s heart plummeted, but he kept a smile – albeit a weak one – and nodded.

“Oh yes, that actually would be better, I guess. Well, it was nice seeing you this morning and I wish both of you the best of health.” Keith bowed again and turned to leave, clenching his jaw. Anita looked over at her son, who was waving at his retreating back and going back to hanging the clothing. She knew that Lance did not feel the same towards Keith, in fact he was not interested in anyone in the village, but like any mother, she was worried. Worried that he would never find someone to happily spend the rest of his life with and take good care of him when she leaves. She sighed and ignored the look of concern and immediately cut off any vocal apprehension that Lance was about to give, continuing to hang the fresh laundry.

 

\---

 

A few days later, there were whispers travelling amongst the villagers with rumors of a new resident of the area. There were stories that he was from a distant land with different customs and there needed to be a look out for him. It didn’t matter what it was, Lance wasn’t paying any attention to what was happening anyway. Lance had just returned home from visiting his friends on the other side of the village and was just getting ready to help with dinner. Upon reaching his house, Lance noticed that there was a carriage standing before an empty cottage right across from him. His curiosity getting the better of him, he slowly walked over, investigating the wagon. It held various sorts of small furniture and personal items. Before he could get any closer, the front door of the cottage opened and a young man appeared before him. There was a moment of stillness as both young men took in the sight of each other.

His looks were very striking, very strong and indistinguishable – he wasn’t pretty like Lance, but he was very handsome, holding both regal and rugged qualities to his stature. He was tall, standing about the same height as Lance, if not a few inches taller, and his body was well built and broad, as if he farmed and hunted his entire life. His hair was black in a military undercut, with silver strands falling into his eyes. The most distinguishing feature was the scar that was across his nose. He was strong and rugged; to put it simply, Lance couldn’t stop staring at him, and noticed that the other man couldn’t either – but he finally snapped out of it and broke the silence.

“Um, h-hi.” He said timidly and the other man responded at first with a couple of blinks, and then smiled (at this, the peasant boy’s heart fluttered).

“Hey…” He said (even his voice sent Lance’s head reeling). “My name is Kuro Suzuki, I came from another village quite a distance away and I was looking for a new place...and I was right to choose this village.” He finished and Lance blushed at the hidden meaning behind his words.

“I’m Lance Espinosa.” The younger male introduced himself timidly. “I’m happy you’ve taken the choice to come here.”

“Lance!” He jumped at his named being called and whipped around in time to see his mother standing in the doorway of their cottage. She had a stern expression on her face, meaning that Lance had to get inside as soon as possible.

“I am sorry. It was nice meeting you!” He ran over to his mother and disappeared within the home, not noticing the look of disapproval shot at the newcomer’s direction.

 

\---

 

Unbeknownst to the villagers, Kuro Suzuki was a young Prince by the name of Takashi Shirogane – Shiro for short. Shiro was the son of the great King Shirogane of one of the neighboring kingdoms. He wanted to see how life was like outside of the castle walls and so he found the quaint little village and decided to settle there – along with his irritating but loyal squire, Matthew Holt. Shiro and Matt arrived in the middle of the afternoon. The two of them carried Shiro’s things inside his new home while Matt nagged Shiro constantly.

“Sire, I beg of you to stop this and return to your real home.” Matt said, and Shiro rolled his eyes. “You will get into serious trouble for this.”

“You have told me this, how many times?” Shiro began without stopping his work. “And we are still here, so stop your constant worrying and just live a little.” He smiled at the annoyed expression on Matt’s face, and could tell that the younger man was giving up. He looked on in amusement as Matt went back outside and came in with a few bags of clothing, not forgetting to add a couple of words under his breath. Shiro peered into one of the bags and searched through the various garments of fine fabric and silk until he came across a particular fabric that was rougher than the rest. He wrapped his hand around it and pulled it out, revealing it to be peasant's garb. It was the perfect disguise to avoid suspicion toward him in the village and not get into any trouble by his family (it certainly wouldn’t do him any good if his father found out).

He took the clothes and changed into them, receiving approval from Matt and voiced his decision to venture out into the village. He took a step outside and stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell upon the most exquisite sight in his young life.

Right before him was a young man with beauty that surpassed even the fairest princess in the entire land. His skin was a beautiful shade of brown, and his features were sharp but held a sort of prettiness that would render an entire town silent in awe. He was slightly shorter than the young noble, but appeared to be delicate and a little frail; although Shiro could tell that the other held a surprising amount of energy and joy in his heart.

Snapping out his trance, his knees nearly went weak at the voice that introduced the beauty standing before him. The meeting was awkward, but there was a quiet understanding of a mutual attraction that was happening between them. Before anything else could be said or done, a woman’s voice rang out and the boy - Lance - left for his home. When the door closed, Shiro leaned against his own doorway for support, trying to recover from the encounter.

Never in his entire life had he been so entranced by such a beauty as Lance Espinosa. His head was spinning and his heart was beating so hard he could hear it in his ears. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down, but he was unable to do so since Lance’s face was embedded into his mind. He reopened them at the sound of the door opening behind him and Matt looked over at him in deep concern.

“Sire, you look pale, what happened?” He fussed over the Prince and the older male gently pushed him away, shaking his head.

“Nothing bad happened.” He reassured his attendant. “But I think…” He looked back at the Espinosa Cottage and his heart raced again. “…I may have fallen in love.”

This was something that caught Matt off guard and Shiro knew it was with good reason. For one thing, it was forbidden for anyone of royalty to have any sort of relationship with a peasant and an absolute taboo if it was anyone of the same gender. Shiro felt fear, but his love for the other boy was much too strong for him to hold back.

 

\---

 

Over the next couple of weeks, the two young men continuously met and got along right away. Shiro couldn’t bring himself to reveal his true identity to Lance, so he kept under the guise of being a hunter. They found that they had many things in common, and fell deeper and deeper in love with one another. Before the eyes of the villagers, a courtship had emerged and everyone had given their full support (Lance couldn’t help but find Shiro’s – ‘Kuro’s’ – surprised reaction adorable. It was apparent that same gender relationships were fully supported in the village). The biggest thing between the two was dancing. Lance was delighted at the fact that Shiro loved to dance as much as he did, though he was more impressed that that the older boy had a beautiful singing voice (so much so that he had a bit of a hard time avoiding the advances of the available men and women).

Unfortunately, Keith was not as excited as the other villagers and in fact held envy and bitterness in his heart. He was angry to see that the one person he loved was giving his heart away to a stranger – a very suspicious one at that. The young gamekeeper suspected that Kuro was not being completely honest to the villagers, and especially to Lance. The other person he was suspicious about was Matt, who seemingly knew what Kuro’s true intentions were. Keith decided to keep a close eye on both, so he could find something to expose them on.

 

\---

 

“Sire, I understand that you are having fun, but it is vital that you must stop this.” Matt said in exaggeration, walking after Shiro who was getting ready to visit Lance. Without pausing, he looked over at his advisor with a raised eyebrow.

“Why should I stop?” The Prince questioned, slipping his shirt on. “I told you, I am in love, and nothing is going to stop me from being with him.”

“But Sire, what about – ”

“Matthew Holt!” The other male exclaimed angrily. “What I need for you to do is be quiet and let me do as I wish.”

“I’m afraid I cannot _Your Highness_ .” Matt squared his shoulders and glared at Shiro sternly. “You have gone too far with this affair and you will get into deep trouble with your father and especially the Princess. You are deceiving these villagers and taking advantage of their hospitality. _Not_ to mention that you are having a forbidden affair for _what_ ? To have _fun_ ? This has gone on long enough: _you have to stop!_ ” He was breathing hard, never the one to snap at his superior in anyway. Both men stared at each other in tense silence, one in anger and the other in shock.

Slowly, Shiro turned completely towards Matt; his face schooled into a dangerously calm expression and gave his advisor an order in a severe tone.

“Leave me, _now._ Attend to more important matters in the castle; I do not wish to see your face in my presence for a while.”

Matt continued to stare at him in anger, and then reluctantly turned around and left the cottage without another word.

 

\---

 

“My fair Lance, why must you keep me waiting so?” Shiro sang playfully towards the window upstairs from outside to the window of his beloved. There was movement behind the curtain and within a few moments, Lance erupted from the front door and nearly tackled Shiro in happiness.

“I do apologize, my love, but my mother insisted that I finish all of my chores.” The younger man breathed and Shiro chuckled, leaning in for a kiss. Lance leaned in as well in response but they didn’t get far when they heard a noise right behind them. They turned around and quickly stepped away from each other at the sight of Anita standing with disapproval in the doorway.

“Ah, Madame Espinosa, it is an honor to be in your presence.” Shiro bowed politely and Anita scowled at him. It wasn’t that she disliked him – he was a very charming young man and he easily captured the hearts of many – but she was a mother who had a boy with a very weak heart. She did not want anything to happen to him, thus being overly protective of her only child.

“Where will you be taking my son this time?” She asked stiffly and Shiro answered without missing a beat.

“We will be going to a lake that is within the forest. It is not too far from the village and I promise to bring him back before nightfall.” He said smoothly, keeping a polite smile on his face. The woman was silent for a long moment and she slowly nodded and the two young lovers raced each other to the path of the forest before she could call to them to be careful and that she would have Shiro’s head if anything happened to Lance.

 

\---

 

Lance had been to the lake many times before, but it wasn’t as beautiful then as was at that moment, being with his beloved. The two slowed down to a complete stop and paused to catch their breaths. As soon as they calmed, Lance shyly glanced over at Shiro and blushed furiously at the look of deep affection in the other’s eyes. He felt fingers gently caress his face and he leaned into the touch, and Shiro cupped his cheek. It was a moment of true peace between the two lovers.

“You are so beautiful…” Shiro whispered lovingly and Lance leaned in for a kiss in response. Their lips touched lightly at first, and electricity ran rapidly through their bodies. Lance slid his hands onto Shiro’s broad shoulders and rested them upon the crook of the other’s neck, deepening the kiss. He felt strong arms wrap around his waist – and his heart thudded hard in his chest. Before they could go any further, Shiro pulled away breathing hard and Lance pouted while trying to catch his breath.

“I’m sorry, but you know you have a weak heart.” Shiro chided gently, running a finger across Lance’s left cheek. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

“Of course, and if it did, mother would have your hide in a blink.” Lance replied and chuckled along with Shiro’s contagious laugh and his beautiful smile.

“She would not be the only one who would have the pleasure of doing so.” A voice startled them out of their bliss and they looked up to see Keith glaring at them.

“K-Keith!” Lance nearly squeaked in surprise at his friend’s sudden appearance.

“Lance, I cannot continue to stand around and watch this man deceive you any longer.” He snarled and the two lovers stared at him with identical looks of shock.

“W-what are you talking about – ?”

“I’m saying that you have given your heart to a complete stranger, a man who is hiding his true identity! He should never be trusted and you will get away from him if you know what is good for you!” Keith then softened his tone and took a step towards Lance. “Please, you must get away from him and come to me. I am the one you can trust, and I can take care of you better than he ever could.” He held out his hand. “Be with me and forget him. I know I can make you the happiest person alive.” His eyes were pleading.

“Keith,” The fair boy began. “I-I appreciate what you are doing, but I’m sorry. I have already given my heart to Kuro. I love him with everything I have and nothing is going to take that away.” He bit his lip. “You had your chance, but I never felt anything more towards you than just friendship.” He then looked over at Shiro and gave him a loving smile. “I love Kuro and I will never stop loving him.”

“No, I can’t let you do this.” Keith seethed. “You are coming back to the village with me! _I_ know what is best for you!” He took a couple of steps forward in a gesture of taking Lance back by force but was intercepted by Shiro, glaring at him.

“That is enough.” He said sternly, setting his jaw. “You will leave us alone and never speak to Lance that way again.”

“Oh? You and what army? Lance, let’s go!” Keith tried to push past Shiro, but the older male pushed him back with a snarl. Keith quickly pulled back his fist and landed it square onto the Prince’s jaw. Lance screamed as Shiro stumbled onto the ground and the gamekeeper jumped on him. Both men exchanged punches and blows as Lance yelled at them to stop. One of them finally pushed the other away and Lance immediately attended to Shiro’s battered face.

“Fine,” Keith snarled as he retreated. “But you mark my words; I will expose you to the entire village, and everyone will know the true fraud you are.” He took one last look over to Lance and disappeared down the trail.

“I’m terribly sorry for his behavior.” Lance apologized profusely, kissing Shiro’s cheeks and his forehead. The older male chuckled and shook his head, pulling the fair boy slightly away and holding his gaze.

“It’s alright; he just doesn’t understand that you don’t love him.” Shiro responded softly. “I’ve had worse, so don’t worry so much about it.” The boy was never punched in the face in his entire life, and it pained him to lie like this, but he felt that he had no other choice.

“I kind of like it this way…”

“What do you mean?”

“Just us like this. It’s like we’re married or something.”

Lance laughed and tried to get up, but Shiro pulled him back down. “Stop, and let me go. We need to get back to the village.”

“Not now. Not yet at least.” Shiro sat up more and pulled his lover onto his lap, making the other blush heavily (all the while his fragile heart fluttered dangerously). He lifted a finger and caressed Lance’s cheek gently once more, and a shy smile appeared onto his lips. The other boy blinked in surprised but said nothing – however not expecting what was to come next.

“Marry me.”

Lance stared at him in surprise, and laughed thinking that he was joking.

“No, I’m serious. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Shiro slipped his hands around Lance’s, never once breaking eye contact. “Be the one to stand by my side for all of eternity.”

Tears flooded the peasant’s eyes as his mind tried to process what was being said to him. It was too good to be true, but he didn’t care at that point, believing that everything was going so well for him. A huge grin broke out on his lovely face and tackled a laughing Shiro, confirming his positive answer.

“Yes, Kuro Suzuki, I _will_ marry you.”

 

\---

 

“Leandro Alejandro Núñez Cuesta Espinosa! Quit your daydreaming and finish your chores! Ay, boy if you don’t stop thinking of that Kuro and stop dancing so exuberantly with him you’ll become a Wili!” His mother snapped, throwing a wet cloth at his face. The boy snapped out of his daydreaming and pushed off against the wall with the broom in his hands.

“Mother, none of that will happen to me. Don’t worry.” He sighed, removing the cloth that landed on his head and handed it back to her. Anita scoffed and shooed him into the other room.

“Mark my words boy, and watch how you act.” She warned.  

It was the one of two things that Anita worried constantly about with her son. The other was his health in general. She was afraid, because of his exuberance in dancing, his heart will give out, but what she was most afraid was that the stranger who Lance fell for will hurt him and her son would be taken away from her. Lance was a special boy, and Anita knew that his spirit was pure and innocent enough to be taken over by any sort of mystical creature – Wilis especially.

The woman sighed as she looked over at him, who was happily sweeping the other room and humming a lovely tone. The sound of horns sounding of in the near distance snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked outside of her window to see what was going on. She saw horses appear, with men wearing the emblem of the royal family. She looked over at Lance who was standing at alert, appearing to recognize the horns of the incoming hunting party. Both of them rushed outside to receive the prince of the land, and brother of the king, Prince Alfor and his lovely daughter, Princess Allura. Along with them, was Matt who appeared to be worried and Anita couldn’t help but take notice.

“Greetings villagers!” An announcer addressed the crowd gathering around them. “We are on a hunting expedition and the Prince has chosen this village as a rest spot for his party.” Murmurs erupted among the villagers and Anita stepped up to offer her home as a resting spot.

“I am Anita Espinosa and you are more than welcome to rest here in my home. You can stay here for as long as you wish.” She said with a curtsy. The announcer bowed in gratitude and the Prince and his daughter de-mounted their steeds and greeted the woman formally.

“We are eternally grateful for your hospitality.” Prince Alfor smiled graciously. He turned back and gestured to his daughter, who stepped up and gave a curtsy in greeting. She looked up and noticed Lance, who was standing halfway in the doorway to his home.

“Oh, what a handsome young man you are.” She said with a kind smile. “I am Princess Allura.”

“I am Lance Espinosa. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.” He introduced shyly with a polite bow, while his mother worked with the other villagers to bring out tables and refreshments to serve the party. Everyone sat down, and enjoyed themselves except for Lance, who was searching for his fiancé. Matt (who was having a lively discussion with one of Lance’s friends, Hunk), took notice and approached the slightly distressed boy.

“You must join us. Do not worry about young Kuro, he has given himself time to explore the woods and shall return later.” He kept his anxiety at bay, knowing that Shiro was going to be in deep trouble for not returning to the castle in time to receive the visitors and join in their sport. He was hoping that the boy had enough sense to not appear now. He looked back over to Lance in time to see him nod and join the group with a smile.

Both Lance and the Princess spoke pleasantly to each other, finding out in great delight that they shared many interests. What excited the princess most was Lance’s news of engagement.

“Really? As am I! Who is this lovely maiden?” She asked eagerly, and the boy answered immediately.

“‘Tis not a maiden but a man, another peasant who has recently moved here from a distant land.”

“A – a _man_?” The Prince said in silent outrage, while his group fell into a shocked silence.

“Y-yes.” Lance began a little nervously and Hunk spoke up.

“It is customary, Your Highness, for the village to give permission to one who is promised to another, regardless of gender. It is a tradition we have followed for generations.”

“But that is preposterous!” Alfor exclaimed, jumping up and slamming his fist onto the table. “How are two men supposed to co-exist under the guise that they are in love with each other? How are you supposed to have children? Keep your honor?”

“Love is a universal thing,” Lance answered calmly, much to the shock of his mother and of the villagers. “It does not matter who holds it and whom they use it towards. Things like honor and social appeal are trivial labels that society has placed in order to keep control of everyone.” Everyone was silent in a mixture of awe and outrage at his words. The Prince’s face turned red and angry, ready to give the boy a piece of his mind when his daughter interrupted.

“You have a very heavy conviction about the unorthodox practices of this village, and surprisingly, they do not have any ill-intentions; Am I correct?”

Lance nodded.

“And you love this man with all of your being and only care about spending the rest of your life with him?” Lance nodded again, and Allura gave her father a knowing look before she turned back to the teen. “It sounds like a good enough reason for me.” She reached up and around her neck and fiddled with the clasp of a necklace.

“Allura!” Her father exclaimed. “What are you doing? Your mother gave that to you for your engagement! You cannot just give it away to some stranger!”

“Stop it father. This piece of jewelry was meant to be given to someone who is truly in love. I may adore my husband to be, but this young man will do anything for the one he truly loves.” She removed the necklace and presented it to Lance. “I present this token of my wish to you of good fortune and a lot of happiness in your future with this man.” She reached up and placed it in rest on his neck.

“T-thank y-you Princess. You are too kind – ” He was cut off by a hug from her and he returned the gesture, as the crowd of villagers and the hunting party cheered.

“Think nothing of it.” She turned to her father. “I believe that you have rested long enough and it should be time for you to continue your hunt for game to calm yourself, while I rest with this charming young man with his mother.” She said firmly and the older man sighed at her conviction. He learned the hard way to never question the demands of his daughter, especially if her mind was set on something she believed in. He gestured to his party and they mounted their horses and entered the forest.

 

\---

 

A few hours later, the village square was filled music and good cheer as various villagers joined together in the festivities of the Grape Harvest. Many were enjoying themselves with dance, especially Lance. He was a sight to see, dancing with the Princess, but even she couldn’t keep up despite her own love for dance. She was in awe at his gracefulness and the joy he presented in his movement, easily impressed by his energy. She stopped and took a step back to take a breath, letting him know that she was going inside of the cottage for a rest. As soon as she entered, Lance took a break as well, and headed towards the forest to search for his beloved.

Keith took the opportunity to slip away from the joyful crowd, and without anyone looking, he managed to open the door to Shiro’s cottage and entered the empty home. He shut the door silently behind him and quickly searched through his things. He couldn’t find anything in the main rooms so he went upstairs to where the bedrooms were. He opened a wardrobe and shifted through plain clothing, but growled in frustration at not being able to find anything. He left the room and entered the other, in hopes to find something in there. He looked into the wardrobe and found nothing yet again, and he even checked under the bed. _Nothing_. He cursed loudly and stood up, taking one last sweep of the room.

Right before he stepped out of the room, however, he spotted a peculiar item, leaning against the wall partially hidden behind the wardrobe. He walked over to it and pulled it out, finding it that it was a velvet cloth wrapped around a large narrow object. He pulled on the fabric and the thing was quickly unveiled and the object hit the floor with a metallic thud. He looked down at first, and not believing what he was seeing, took a better look at the cloth.

A maniacal grin slowly appeared on his face.

 

\---

 

He stood quietly at the edge of the cheering crowd; his narrowed eyes followed every movement of the love-struck couple. They were dancing like one, never taking their eyes off from each other. One mimicked the move the other would make, and one would adapt rapidly to the changes in steps the other would make. It was quite a remarkable sight, and an outsider would truly believe that both were with their other half, destined to be together for all of eternity. Keith could feel their passion burning relentlessly for one another – and it made him absolutely sick. He was overcome with so much hatred for them; he couldn’t take it anymore and stepped in; forcing all festivities to stop. He turned to the couple, glaring at Shiro before turning to Lance.

“Lance Espinosa, I came here before you to show you proof that this man is not who he says he is.” He said, and murmurs erupted among the villagers.

“Keith, I thought I gave you my answer. I love Kuro and nothing you can say will change that.” Lance said firmly. He was known for his unlimited patience, but he was starting to get a little peeved at Keith’s behavior.

“I thought you would say that.” Keith said darkly and threw down the evidence he gathered from Shiro’s cabin. One of them created a loud clamor as it landed on the ground, and it was revealed to be a sword with the same crest of royalty on it like the flags of the hunting party, along with the cloak. “I’ve found these in his cabin. They are the same ones would see on a royal prince or duke; he’s not your precious ‘Kuro.’”

“Keith, you stole them from our guests and frankly I am getting sick and tired of you trying to break us up. He will never lie to me, will you Kuro?” Lance turned back to Shiro, who was quickly avoiding eye contact and the village boy blinked in surprise at his sudden change in behavior. “K-Kuro? You wouldn’t lie…would you?” His lover couldn’t respond, since Keith raised a horn, calling for the hunters in the forest. They soon re-appeared led by the Prince, and at the same time, the door to the Espinosa Cottage opened and Princess Allura appeared closely followed by Anita.

“Shiro?” She asked, walking towards the couple, blinking in surprise. “What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like a peasant?” She started to get visibly upset. “Answer me, Shiro; I want to know why my fiancé is here like this.”

“Wait, _the Prince Takashi Shirogane?_ Of the Royal Shirogane Family?” Someone exclaimed and collective gasps and murmurs of disbelief were heard from among them.

Lance stared hard at the man being questioned. He felt his entire world crashing down and his body starting to go numb (all the while his heart started to beat very sporadically). _This_ man was _her_ fiancé? The one person he had given his entire heart and soul to, the one person he felt complete with and understood that would always be by his side – _was engaged to another and lied about his identity to him._

This was not acceptable.

Completely, utterly and _inexplicably unacceptable._

“Allura, I-I just needed some space from the castle. I know it’s really unconventional but –” He was cut off by a loud sob from right behind him and he whipped around to see Lance’s head lowered, eyes hidden with his hair and his shoulders were shaking slightly while his hands were clenched by his sides in fists. “L-Lance?” Shiro asked in a near whisper, ignoring the smug expression on Keith’s face behind the seemingly distraught boy. Shiro was aware that Lance was in a very delicate condition and was afraid that this sudden reveal was too much for Lance to handle. He reached out to place his hand timidly onto the other’s shoulder, but jumped as Lance jumped away, looking back up and the expression on his face confirmed Shiro’s fear.

Lance’s face was a complete mess, with tears streaking down his red cheeks and his eyes held a sort of distance within them, empty with no sparkle of joy within them. An uncharacteristic smile slowly twisted itself onto his face, stretching until it was far too wide for his own face. He was still trembling, perhaps since his heart was beating at a much higher pace this time. A strange laugh escaped his lips; a very eerie and hollow laugh that was soon followed by many others, wracking his entire body as if an invisible force took over his form completely.

The entire village was rendered silent by this strange display from the boy. Keith was not expecting this sort of reaction from Lance. He was hoping to open his eyes to the deception that Shiro presented to an innocent man and many other villagers. He did not, however, anticipate that Lance would react this way – and what made it worse was that Keith had forgotten how fragile Lance was.

“Hey, Lance,” Shiro asked calmly. “Are you okay?” He reached out again and Lance moved out of the way, laughing more maniacally then before.

“Okay?” He said in an uncharacteristically cheerful voice. “Of   _course_ I’m okay! In fact: I’m better than okay - I am _fantastic._ I mean who wouldn’t? The very man that I thought I knew, the one person I have given my heart, my whole entire _being_ to, has _lied_ to me. This was just a big _charade_ that you decided on a whim huh?” His empty laughs echoed across the silent square once again, sending chills up and down the spines of many. “I mean, why would a Prince put any genuine interest into a _peasant boy_ when he was already engaged to another? I guess I now learned that it’s all just for some sick entertainment because you were _bored_.” He was breathing hard; all the while the distorted smile was still on his face.

“You know what? We should celebrate!” He reached up and yanked the chain from his neck and threw it back at the petrified Princess, then turned his attention towards the frightened village band. “Hey, why don’t you play some music for this groom and his bride? At least _one_ person of this village is _still_ getting married.” He didn’t get a reaction from them. “Didn’t you hear me? Play some music, _play dammit! I want you to play the bloody music for this happy couple!_ ” He screamed. When no one even moved, he raked his fingers through his hair as his face became more distorted and covered in tears; looking a complete mess.

Everyone watched in terror as their beloved town beauty fell apart right before their eyes. Anita stood there unable to do anything to save her son. He was losing his mind and he was going to be taken away from her.

“You know what? _Fine! I_ do not need your bloody music!” His screeches were disturbing to their ears. “ _I’ll be fine on my bloody own. It’s all just some cruel joke from the gods who had nothing better to do than to give me a weak heart –_ ” He choked hard on a sob. “ – _and trick me into believing that I had someone I could love in return! Well you know what?_ ” He bent down and picked up Shiro’s sword, and placed the sharp edge of the blade right against his throat. “I’ll do them a favor and get rid of their half-hearted creation. I’m obviously not good enough for anything or anyone, so I’ll end it right here.” He gritted his teeth as a wave of pain overwhelmed his frail body, but he started to back away from them, keeping the blade close to where his jugular was and directed his attention to the horror-struck Prince Shiro.

“I’m _sorry_ if I wasted your time, but it seemed to me that you had some fun with it, so I am at least happy that you’re happy _._ I’m so glad that you got a chance to _humiliate me and had me make a fool out of myself._ But no matter _what_ , Takashi Shirogane, I will always – _OH_.” He gasped suddenly, his face rapidly paling and the sword slipped out of his fingers and landed on the street with a loud clamor.

“ _Ohhhhhhh._ ” He moaned as his face contorted into pain and he grasped his chest at the tight, white-hot pain that shot all over his torso. He fell onto his knees and Anita screamed and ran over to catch him just as he completely fell over. She called his name over and over, trying to keep his attention and another yet weaker moan escaped his lips – and no more.

All was still as Anita pressed a shaky hand onto his chest for his heartbeat and felt none.

His weak heart was completely broken; beating no more.

 

\---

 

There was a dark and heavy blanket of silence that hung over the village.

Lines of villagers in black appeared from the path of the forest, walking slowly and carefully as the hum of an interment song rose into the air. They pooled into the square and the hum grew louder. Never, in the history of this little town, has there been such a gathering for the death of anyone. For the most part, on funerals there would be a big celebration to celebrate the passing of one of their own. In this case, however, it was which one of their most beloved met a tragic end in their short life. It was so sudden, the villagers had no choice but to allow reality to sink in and give them the reminder that Death does not limit its victims to the elderly.

The humming ended and the entire area was suddenly enveloped in silence.

 

\---

 

“Over down yonder!” Keith called out to the men in his hunting party, gesturing firmly towards a bush not too far from where he stood. About a good number of them followed his direction and caught sight of the animal they were hunting. Keith gestured for silence and made sure that they strategically approached the creature with efficient expertise. Just as they reached the creature, the sudden snap of a twig broke the silence and the creature quickly sensed the hunters and made a mad dash the opposite direction. Keith cursed loudly and called for all of them to pursue the animal.

They were so focused on their game that they hardly noticed that is was becoming notably late nor did they notice that they were at an unrecognizable area of the forest. They all calmed down and looked about their surroundings, taking note that they were standing in the forest glade – and the area grew suddenly cold. Uneasiness crept into their bones and their senses were sharply heightened. Keith frowned, immediately recognizing the area they were in.

“Stay sharp men,” He began, his body tensing up rapidly. “This is where the Wilis appear. We have to leave before midnight strikes.” Just as he said this, the bell of the village church began to chime, marking the midnight hour. The men began to panic and Keith quickly ordered for them to clear out and return to the village as quickly as possible. Doing as they were told, the glade became as empty as it was once before, only to be suddenly occupied by thick fog slowly crawling across the grassy plane.

Among the mist, numerous pure white figures in the eternal sylph-like forms glided silently from every side of the wood, like will-o-wisps. They shifted amongst each other, blending and molding into the air and space around them.

These creatures appear only between the hours of twilight and dawn. It is said that they are the restless sylph-like spirits of young maidens who were abandoned or deceived by their lovers before their wedding day. They were also known to be young women whom had great pleasure in dancing in their past lives. Despite how lovely they were, they were very spiteful creatures whom held a nasty grudge against any male they would encounter. If one was unfortunate enough to be alone at night in the forest glade, the Wilis will gather around him and entrance him to dance with them non-stop until he falls over in death from exhaustion.

There was one who stood taller and grander than the others. Instead of white, she was cloaked in blue and she carried a small crown of flowers and dew upon her white hair. She was identified as Haggar, Queen of the Wilis: the cold gatherer of the vengeful souls of the Wilis. She lifted her arms, and pointed her finger towards a freshly made grave on the opposite end of the glade, with the gravestone of Lance Espinosa resting upon the head. Haggar twisted her hand, silently calling forth the soul of the fallen boy.

Almost immediately, a fair, ghost-like figure appeared before them – Lance . He was dressed in white, with small, translucent white wings shuddering gently against his shoulder blades, very much like his ghostly sisters. He looked over to them in melancholic wonder as Haggar drifted over to him and took his face into her hands.

 _“You now belong to me.”_ Her voice was hollow with a frosty undertone. The boy could understand why she was the Queen of the Wilis. _“No more, shall man clamor to destroy your heart. Come and join your sisters and me, to welcome you into our abode.”_ He was suddenly enveloped by the other sprites, taken gently by the hand, and joined them without another thought in their dance.

They shifted as one across the glade and disappeared onto the other side.

Just as they moved further away, Prince Shiro appeared at Lance’s grave, with his faithful squire, Matt very close by his side. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as remorse and sorrow buried deep within his heart. He never meant for any of this to happen – he truly loved Lance and was very regretful that he lied to the purest person he had ever known in his entire life. He was incredibly lucky to be loved unconditionally by such a gentle spirit and wished desperately to turn back time – or even join him in the afterlife. Matt, on the other hand, could understand that his master was heartbroken, but he was alert as well seeing that he quickly recognized where they were.

“Your Highness,” He whispered in hurried earnest. “I understand that you are mourning his passing – and I too am truly sorry, but we must hurry to leave. We are not safe and it is only a matter of time before we are cannot return.” Shiro heard what he said and nodded sadly, clutching the wreath of white lilies he brought for Lance’s grave.

“Matt, I want you to leave me alone.” The Prince said quietly and his squire stared at him in alarm.

“But, Sire-!”

“Matt, please.” There was such pain in his voice, and because of his position, there was no way that the squire could refuse. Matt sighed and nodded, then turned and left the mourning Prince behind. Shiro allowed the silence of the glade to consume his form as he continued to gaze upon his beloved’s grave. He clutched the wreath of white lilies to his chest before he reached out and placed them onto the cross of the grave marker. He pulled away, then fell to his knees as tears filled his eyes.

“Lance,” He whispered, choking back a sob. “I am so sorry. I never meant for this to happen and I never imagined it would. I took things too far and I should have been honest with you from the beginning about everything. But I want you to understand this: my love for you was the only thing that was genuine and true. I love you so much, and I will do anything to see you and hold you again.” He clutched his heart as it clenched in pain and he squeezed his eyes shut as tears flowed down his cheeks. “Please, Lance; my pet, my one true love, forgive me for the wrong that I have done to you. Please forgive me… _please…_ ”

_“Shiro…”_

At this, the young prince jumped in surprised and whipped around towards the source of the voice. He froze, not quite believing what he saw before him, and another second passed before he realized that he wasn’t dreaming. He stood back up, staring at Lance and realizing that he was more beautiful than ever. An inexplicable amount of joy filled his broken heart and he reached out to touch his lost love, but the other boy jumped back from his reach. Shiro blinked and tried again, but got the same result. He didn’t realize what was happening, but he didn’t care – he saw the man he loved and he was determined to touch him again.

It was a near impossible feat since Shiro could barely keep up with the sprite that darted to and fro between the trees and within the shadows. Lance finally had pity on the prince and stopped, allowing his human lover to reach him. Both males reunited and performed a little waltz between the trees, reveling in the presence of each other. The other Wilis were dancing on the other end of the clearing beneath the light of the moon, but Lance cleverly moved Shiro away from them to make sure that they would not get a hold of him. They were alone, and they took advantage of this by touching and cherishing every inch of each other’s faces.

“You are so cold.” Shiro murmured, kissing the cheeks of his lost beloved. “I’m so sorry for doing this to you.” Lance did not answer, but continued to hold and kiss his human lover. He didn’t care anymore – he was just grateful to see the Prince again.

 

\---

 

On the other side of the glade, where his sisters were at play, one mortal was not as fortunate. Keith decided to return to reach Lance’s grave to mourn his passing when he was caught by the dancing and flirting forms of the Wilis. With his eyes glazed over, he followed them through the trees, clasping his hands with theirs and moving his feet in a never-ending waltz.

His breathing became labored, and his body complained, unable to keep up but the Wilis would not let him go, and he couldn’t pull away.

Soon enough, his heart gave out from sheer exhaustion, and he all but collapsed onto the ground breathing no more.

Wisp-like laughter rose from the group as they lifted him high above their heads – and dumped his body unceremoniously into the dark waters of the lake.

Their attention was grabbed by Haggar, who cooed at their work and proceeded to point them towards their next prize at the other side of the clearing.

 

\---

 

Lance nearly froze in terror, sensing immediately what was to come with his sisters and his Queen.

He frantically urged Shiro to return to his grave, and Shiro obeyed without question. Lance pointed to the cross that was at the head of his grave and guided Shiro’s hands to cling onto the symbol of Sanctuary.

At this, Haggar appeared before them in absolute fury as her daughters surrounding the two, sneering at Lance’s protective stance over Shiro. She did not like the fact that Lance was quick to figure out that her magic was useless against the relic and she raised her hand against him.

 _“You will force him away from that relic and do what you were reborn to do.”_ Haggar’s voice crackled like ice. _“Bring him down, for he has no place amongst us and no place amongst the living anymore!”_

Tears streamed down Lance’s face as he trembled from the sheer force of his struggle against her magic. He so desperately wanted to make a plea for Shiro, do what he could to save his beloved, but alas, Haggar’s control was much too powerful for him to overcome.

Unable to fight anymore, he stepped away from Shiro.

“Lance, what’s going on?” Shiro questioned, feeling fear deep in his bones. “What are you…?”

His questions faded away as his eyes glazed over at Lance’s enchanting and irresistible movement and grace. In his eyes, Lance was the most exquisite being he had ever laid eyes upon, and felt compelled to do all that he could to remain within the Wili’s presence forever.

Lance sighed as Shiro stepped towards him and right into his arms. Lance knew that if didn’t at least think of something now, Shiro would not be able to last the night.

The dance started off strong, the magic doing its work carrying both men in sweeping movement across the glade. The Wilis surrounding them pulsed with the movement, encouraging the two to keep moving and never stop not even for moment. Lance felt that the dance started to pick up the pace – a way to force Shiro to succumb to exhaustion much quicker – and the Wili decided against it. While he couldn’t stop the dance, he could certainly slow it down and keep it at an acceptable pace.

With this decision, the Wilis and their Queen bore witness to the most marvelous and heartbreaking waltz the glade has ever held.

Lance lifted his fingers to Shiro’s cheek, hoping to snap him out of his trance if only for a bit. He wheezed out his lover’s name and Shiro slowly drifted out of the trance to see Lance in his arms, moving gracefully with him across the open space. He couldn’t speak aloud at the unyielding beauty before him, but he did feel the deep love and sorrow from his immortal love.

They shifted and move with such grace, their feet barely touched the ground. Both men longed for this to end, but at the same time to keep going forever. They only saw each other, trapped in between worlds of the living and of the dead, and they moved in desperation, understanding that they many never get this ever again.

Shiro began to falter, much to Lance’s chagrin, his breathing becoming labored. Lance tried everything to slow down even more, but he simply couldn’t fight against the magic. Misery filled his veins as he encircled his arms tightly around Shiro, burying his face into his love’s neck. He felt Shiro tightening his hold as well, understanding that his life was facing its end.

Lance rapidly lifted his head at the distance sound of the village church bells, chiming four times to mark the beginning of dawn. Relief replaced the misery in his body as he felt Haggar’s magic wane and grow weaker. The faint glow of the morning sun peeked from behind the trees, and the Wilis gradually disappeared with their frustrated Queen, leaving behind a fading Lance with his exhausted lover.

Shiro fell to his knees at the foot of Lance’s grave, trying desperately to cling onto Lance before he completely disappeared.

Lance reached down and traced his fingers lovingly against Shiro’s brow, cheeks, and lips.

 _‘I love you.’_ The gesture said.

“And I will always love you.” Shiro managed to croak out. With tears streaming down his face once more, Lance disappeared and Shiro fainted, falling prostrate onto the ground.

The rays of the sun touched his form reverently, seemingly protecting him from all future harm. It wasn't until late morning that Shiro finally awoke, leaving the graveyard and his lost love behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Yell at me on [Tumblr](https://miishiiwrites.tumblr.com)


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